Combined foot-rest and kn eeli ng-stool



(No ModeLj 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. W. JEPFRIES.

COMBINED FOOT REST AND KNEELING STOOL. Y

180,893,472. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

N. PETERS Pboin'l-flhngnpher. Wahll lhn. D, C

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E. W. JEFFRIESP COMBINED FOOT BEST AND KNEELING STOOL.

' No.393,472. PatentedN0v.27,1888-.-

UNITED STATES PATENT cE.

EDW'ARD V. JEFFRIES, OF MOUNT VERNON, IOWA.

COMBINED FOOT -REST AND KNEELING=STOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,472, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed February 10, lBES.

To all whom it may concern.-

3e it known that I, EDWARD W. JEEERIEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Foot Rests and Kneeling-Stools, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide church-seats with a device which may be used as a foot-rest or a stool upon which to kneel, and may also constitute a part of the book-rack.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangements of parts to this end, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a rear View of the device in perspective; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same as applied to a partial seat with the addition of a device for aiding in the shifting of the apparatus for convenience in sweeping and the like; Fig. 3, a similar view of the foot rest and kneeling-stool as applied to modified forms of supports; Fig. 4-, a vertical section of the pivotal parts of the device in the line :10 0c of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 a transverse section showing the construction of the device with the book-rack forming a part thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A. is the back of a conventional church seat or pew, B the bottom thereof, and G the usual partition. Under the seat, and preferably attached to the back thereof, are mounted supports D D, and to these supports are pivoted arms E E by suitable pivots, a a, set near the center of the arms. One end of the arms is carried out straight, and to this end is attached a suitablyupholstered stool, G. The opposite extremity of the arms is turned to about a right angle, and is provided with a foot-rest, F, which may be a simple board or carpeted, as desired. WVhen in use as a foot-rest, the main portion of the arms E E is upright or practically in line with the back of the seat, the back or bottom of the stool G being flush therewith.

A simple button, 1), holds it in this position. By turning the button the stool may be swung down to the position indicated by the dotted Serial No. 263,650. (No model.)

lines in Fig. 1 or the full outline in Fig. 2,whcre it is held by a lug, d, engaging with the upper side of the arm 1 The part of the device containing the stool G should be a little heavier than the opposite side, so as to descend by its own gravity.

The operation of the device is so simple as to require no explanation. It will be noticed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3, where the device is shown in both positions, that the footrest is relatively considerably lower than the stool. This not only renders the parts convenient in use, but also serves to protect the upholstery of the stool, being of a suitable height for kneeling, but too high to serve as a convenient resting-place for careless feet.

As the device when in normal position occupies considerable space under the seat andthe foot-rest is not far from the floor, it may be desirable to remove it for convenience in sweeping and thelike. I accordingly, in practice, leave an opening in the upper part of the box 9, there being no bearing on that portion thereof, so that the pivots a a may be inserted therein or removed at will. So constructed the device may be lifted out of its bearings and placed on the bottom of the ad joining seat or elsewhere, as most convenient.

To avoid the necessity of lifting the foot rest and stool quite away from the seat to which it is connected, it may be provided with supplemental rods f, pivotally secured to the bottom of the seat at one end and to the pivot a at the other. The device may then be lifted to the position indicated by the upper dotted lines in Fig. 2 and supported in that position by a lug, c, resting on the box 9.

It is of course desirable that the operation of the device should be noiseless. T6 this end the bearing parts may be lined with some comparatively soft material, as felt, c and c. Instead of using this, however, in connection with the pivots, they may be made with an angle or knife edge, as shown in Fig. 3, the form of their bearing being modified accordingly.

Instead of being suspended from the supporting-brackets D D, the foot-rest and stool maybe mounted on standards D or by a plate, D", such as is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the bearing for the pivot being of course a part of the standard or the plate.

When brackets are used, the upper part which fastens to the back of the seat may be extended upward, as shown in Fig. 5, and constitute the end portion of a book-receptacle,D".

For the sake of strength the button bis preferably attached to an iron plate secured to the back of the seat, and this may be the lower part of one of the brackets D.

It is preferred that the stool should shut in under the seat, as indicated in Fig. 2, and therefore an offset is formed in the brackets D D for the cushion of the stool G.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1..In combination with suitable supports therefor, substantially as described, a com bined foot-rest and kneeling stool composed of pivoted arms E E, constituting the end portions of the device, said arms having a part extending normally upward from the pivot and adapted to support the kneeling-stool between them and a part below the pivot extending outwardly at practically a right angle to the upper portion and adapted to support a foot-rest between them, a kneelingstool at tached to the upper portion of the arms, a footrest attached to the lower part of said arms, and pivots connecting said arms with their supports, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a combined foot-rest and kneelingstool, the combination of arms E E, adapted to support a foot-rest at one end and astool at the other, and having central pivots, substantially as specified, and supports for said arms provided with suitable bearings for said pivots, which bearings open upwardly, whereby the pivots may be easily attached or detached, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of arms E E, adapted to support a foot-rest at one end and a stool at the other, and having pivots at-or near the mid dle, supports for said arms having bearings for the pivots with an opening on the upper side, and a rod, f, pivoted to the arm E and the seat and adapted to guide and aid in supporting the foot-rest and stool when lifted out of its bearings, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with aeombined foot-rest and kneeling-stool, substantially as described, brackets adapted to be secured to the back of a seat, the lower ends depending therefrom to form supports for the foot-rest and stool, and upper ends adapted to form the ends of a bookrack, substantially as described.

5. In a combined foot-rest and kneelingstool, the combination of arms E E, having angular pivots a" and supports therefor, substantially as specified, and having lugs (Z, adapted to engage with the arm E and hold it in position for use as a kneeling stool, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD \V. JEFFRIES.

\Vitncsses:

S. LEsLIn LEORON, D. O. M. LEORON. 

